How to reconcile the Shaykh's fatwa on emigrating from Palestine with the hadith (You will fight the Jews while you are in the precincts of Bayt al-Maqdis)?

The questioner : Shaykh, five minutes ago, I was coming to ask an important question, and it has some degree of danger?

The Shaykh : Good, if Allah wills.

The questioner : Good, if Allah wills. You spoke at the beginning of the session about the issue of emigration, and this topic is truly very dangerous.

The Shaykh : Good, if Allah wills.

The questioner : If Allah wills, I listened to tape number two hundred and twenty-seven, in a conversation that took place between a student of knowledge and you regarding the issue of the people of Palestine.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : And he asked about the ruling on emigrating from Palestine. And he raised a question about the issue of the emigration of the people of Palestine from Palestine to the land of emigration, and I listened to the tape for three days until this moment, and I am repeating the tape so that I understand what Shaykh Professor Nasser is saying.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you.

The questioner : May Allah reward him, so that we do not do injusticeThe Shaykh .

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good.

The questioner : to what may be attributed to him, or what has been attributed to him by some claimants of knowledge!

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : And Abu Ahmad knows.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : What I want to say is that the land of emigration, it is obligatory for all Muslims to cooperate to establish it and to create it, so that we emigrate from the land of disbelief and from the land of war to the land of emigration, and we agree withThe Shaykh : in this matter...

The Shaykh : No problem, but you are now saying the land of emigration does not exist?

The questioner : I am saying now that the land of emigration does not exist.

The Shaykh : Strange.

The questioner : Yes, and I spoke to that man and I told him, among the regrettable things is that Saudi Arabia, ten years ago, did not display pictures, and now you find pictures in it, and so on. It seems to me that I understood from your talk that Saudi Arabia is a land of emigration and is suitable to be a land of emigration!

The Shaykh : And did you not understand that the land you are in is a land of emigration?

The questioner : I did not understand that. I want to reach what the characteristics of the land of emigration are, and we know from the biography of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that before he emigrated to Madinah, or before he was revealed the command to emigrate to Madinah, he sought a land of emigration. Initially, he sent some of the Companions to Abyssinia.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : And the Companions returned from Abyssinia, and of course, he asked them about the conditions of Abyssinia, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not find Abyssinia suitable to be a land of emigration. Then he sent a delegation to Hadramawt and asked the delegations that were coming to him (peace and blessings be upon him) about Hadramawt in Yemen, and he found that Yemen is also not suitable as a land of emigration.

The Shaykh : Excuse me, this is not a question. May Allah reward you. I said five minutes, you are going to take the five minutes at your own expense!

The questioner : If Allah wills, so that we tie up the beginning of your session.

The Shaykh : No problem, May Allah reward you. I drew your attention to the fact that when we spoke about emigrating to where, we said, let the Libyans and their like emigrate? To a land of no emigration? Is that how you understood it?

The questioner : To the lands of the Muslims.

The Shaykh : Okay, so how do you say that there is no land of emigration.

The questioner : I want to ask what are the characteristics of the land of emigration?

The Shaykh : My brother, ask instead of giving a lecture, ask...

The questioner : I am not giving a lecture...

The Shaykh : No, allow me, my brother, May Allah reward you. When one asks a question, he shortens it, he does not come to deal with the details. Abyssinia and what Abyssinia, that is not how the question is. You first say there is no land of emigration. Okay, who told you that there must be a land of emigration like the land of the Messenger (peace be upon him)? Is there a prophet after the Messenger of Allah?

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : So why do you turn the talk to the non-existence of a land of emigration, while you believe with me, as you said earlier, that there is a land of Islam? This is sufficient to establish the argument against the disbelievers who become Muslims in their lands of disbelief, that they emigrate to an Islamic country. Likewise, we establish the argument against the oppressed Muslims in Islamic lands in the past, that they emigrate to Islamic lands where there is no oppression. So why did you turn the matter to that there is no land of emigration? And who among the scholars of the Muslims, the Khalaf, let alone the Salaf, says that there must be a land of emigration? No, this is an error in posing the question. So I want to understand what is the result of your reading in three days, as you said, of those tapes. I did not mention that there must be a land of emigration, and no Muslim can say that there must be a land of emigration, because this emigration will not be repeated. And therefore, it came in the hadith meaning there is no other prophetic city until the Hour occurs. But the truth, as the poet said, and even if not on this occasion:
"So imitate them, if you are not like them *** For imitating generosity is success"
The Shaykh : So we want to create an Islamic country that is as close as possible to realizing Islam. We do not hope to find a caliph like the era of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, but rather like the fifth caliph, who is 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz (may Allah be pleased with them all). But we want a ruler who rules by what Allah has revealed, making his goal ruling by what Allah has revealed. As for if he erred, as for if he deviated a little or a lot there are many Islamic lands, and praise be to Allah, we are still, and praise be to Allah, it will remain so. We do not see open disbelief, and rather this was found in some of those lands. So we command the oppressed Muslim youth to flee with their religion and to emigrate with their religion from the country whose head has declared disbelief to a country where, praise be to Allah, there is still much good. And I said this earlier. So, May Allah reward you, give us what is the problem that presented itself to you regarding the tape? Forget the word "land of emigration"...

The questioner : I withdraw it.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good.

The questioner : Because I am not argumentative, I want to learn.

The Shaykh : That is the opinion of you.

The questioner : If Allah wills, May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : Please.

The questioner : May Allah bless you. The issue of Palestine is a special issue and has some particularities. I mean, I can cite the hadith reported in the book al-Taj al-Jami' li-l-Usul, which is narrated by 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) This hadith was narrated by Abu Dawud with a sound chain. I do not know the degree of authenticity of this hadith?

The Shaykh : No problem.

The questioner : This is a point. The point now, when we find or look at the people of Palestine, the conflict with the Jews, and you know, May Allah reward you, the Jews and their impurity and their hatred for Islam and Muslims?

The Shaykh : This is speech that we do not want, my brother, because this is all well known. Let us see what the problem is.

The questioner : The problem is when I told the man that he must go out to the land of Islam, forget the land of emigration, to the land of Islam.

The Shaykh : Do not say "go out".

The questioner : Emigration.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Emigration from the land of Palestine, from the land of war.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : How do we reconcile this statement with the hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) the hadith that you know?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : So inform us, May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : I am saying, if someone else raised this doubt... better than the Sacred Mosque?

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : Okay, is Bayt al-Maqdis better than Makkah?

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : Okay, which of the two emigrations is more dangerous? The emigration of the Messenger from Makkah, or this emigration that we are proposing?

The questioner : The emigration of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Shaykh : So this is even more so. Why do you magnify it, and you presented the premise based on that hadith, that it is the emigration of Ibrahim (peace be upon him). First, the emigration of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) is not just Bayt al-Maqdis, but it is all of the land of Sham, is that not so?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : All right, if the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) established the Sunnah for the Muslims to migrate from a land where they are persecuted, by migrating from al-Masjid al-Haram, or as I mentioned, to migrate from Abyssinia, which is a land of disbelief, then, glory be to Allah, if the Messenger established this Sunnah that his persecuted Companions migrate from Makkah to a land of disbelief, to Abyssinia, to the Negus, why are you surprised that a Muslim who believes in Allah and His Messenger and strives to follow the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) within his ability advises his Muslim brothers: "Enough of throwing yourselves into destruction, of spilling the blood of Muslims in vain." In the common sayings of some Arab countries, "The eye that resists the needle." The Islamic states that have power, weapons, airplanes, and tanks are just watching, while the Palestinian people are the ones facing the tanks and airplanes and so on. Do you think they will expel the Jews? And as for that Dajjal who cracked his head, who was declaring that he would throw the Jews into the sea, do you think our Palestinian brothers, these oppressed people, oppressed by the Jews in the worst way of oppression, will be able to throw the Jews into the sea?

The questioner : Of course not.

The Shaykh : So, may Allah reward you, these people are obligated to migrate more than others, because they are being killed by the dozens every day, while the Jews kill one person every month. So this migration that you were surprised by, the opposite is exactly correct. Therefore, I tell you: reverse your thinking. If the Messenger first permitted the weak and persecuted in Makkah to migrate to Abyssinia, which was the land of the Christians at that time, we say today: do not migrate to the land of the Christians, but migrate to the land of Islam. This is first. Second, when Allah permitted the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to migrate from Makkah to al-Madinah, he stood on which mountain? Qubays, or what?

The questioner : Abu Qubays.

The Shaykh : Abu Qubays, yes. And he turned toward Makkah and said: So this Messenger’s heart was attached to the mosque, al-Masjid al-Haram, which he made what? A refuge for people.

The questioner : .

The Shaykh : Yes, so he was compelled to migrate to save himself first, then his brothers who followed him. If he migrated from the best of Allah’s lands, why should not one migrate from the third of Allah’s lands, which is Bayt al-Maqdis? The Muslims are being persecuted, and especially since they are being tortured every day. Then you find one who is called what? A follower of 'Arafat. What is the name of the organization?

The questioner : The Liberation Organization.

The Shaykh : The Liberation Organization, the Liberation Organization, by the hundreds and thousands, and they probably have money and weapons and so on, and they are just watching.

The questioner : The organization is known to be chaff.

The Shaykh : That is it. All right...

The questioner : But the issue of is that now it is required of all Muslims to strive in the path of Allah, even in Palestine, inside Palestine...

The Shaykh : This question is also completely off the point. Who is going to strive, my brother? You do not know your situation here. You do not know that the Jews are now legally prohibited from being fought by Muslims?

The questioner : Yes, it is known.

The Shaykh : So why do you ignore reality?

The questioner : I do not want to ignore it. All right, there...

The Shaykh : You say, "Should it not be obligatory?" But striving and intention... Now we must stand on a word: Is striving in the path of Allah done by an individual who is enthusiastic, with no state, no ruler, no officer, but just an enthusiastic young man? Is this striving in the path of Allah? So, my brother, Allah the Exalted said: This address is, above all, for whom? We have dealt with this topic in several tapes. It is an address to the believers. Where are the believers? Those who consume usury or interest, those who conspire, those who quarrel, those who form parties, every party rejoicing in what they have. We must look at the issue fundamentally. Where do we start? Do we start with striving? Who is going to strive? There is no one to strive, my brother...

The questioner : .

The Shaykh : Where are they?

The questioner : First of all, faith, then migration...

The Shaykh : That is it. So we start with faith. Let us start with faith, may Allah reward you. Do not think about the conclusion. Striving begins at the end, when the souls are prepared for striving in the path of Allah. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Therefore, we have words that must be realized: purification and education. The Muslims today do not understand their Islam correctly, starting with Allah. They do not know Allah as He introduced Himself in His Book and in the hadith of His Prophet. They do not know their Prophet, by his rulings and his Sunnah, and so on. Therefore, we are very, very far from striving against the disbelievers. And before I forget, do you think the Jews will be expelled by the people of Palestine? We see from the people of Palestine every day groups being slaughtered like sheep, and the governmental forces are just watching. It is not these people, but when the Muslims return to their religion and educate themselves with proper education, faith-based education, and material, military education, because I say as Allah the Exalted said: This address is for whom?

The questioner : For the believers.

The Shaykh : For the believers. Can we prepare the strength today, even if we are believers?

The questioner : No.

The Shaykh : So? Let us try to do what we can, which is to be believers, meaning to believe in what came in the Book and the Sunnah, and to act upon what came in the Book and the Sunnah within our capacity. I say that in many such occasions, many of the enthusiastic youth now put their effort and striving with their Muslim rulers, those who are called, for example, the Takfir group. They want to fight the rulers of the Muslims. My dear, fight yourself first. You have forgotten yourself and are fighting others...

The questioner : The Liberation Party.

The Shaykh : The Liberation Party and the Takfir and Migration group in Egypt, and so on. My intention is to say that these people have forgotten themselves and have become occupied with what? Their rulers. While the opposite is correct. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he first started, started with what? He started by calling people to the testimony that there is no god but Allah. So these people who today want to strive against the rulers have not started from the line, from the point where the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) started. Therefore, there is no benefit in research, argument, partisanship, and grouping if it is not as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was. And that is for us, after we have come after the Messenger by fifteen centuries. Purification and education are necessary. Now, if you pose a traditional question that we received from our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he asked the slave girl, "Where is Allah?" All right, ask the Muslims today, and they will tell you, "Allah is everywhere." Meaning, Allah is in the caves, Allah is in the bars, in the taverns!

The questioner : Far be it, far be it.

The Shaykh : You and I say, "Far be it from Him," and praise be to Allah that Allah has guided us. But the one who strives with them and fights with them will fight you because you say this word. "If you had known..." So, may Allah reward you, migration is obligatory upon everyone who is able, and this is necessary. This is a legal ruling. As for the one who is not able, Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity...

The questioner : ... And to summarize, if Allah wills, the man means we leave the land of Palestine for the Jews to run wild and play in it as they please.

The Shaykh : No, it is better to leave ourselves like sheep for the Jews. Is this better? My brother, may Allah reward you, from the Islamic principles, if a Muslim falls between two evils, he chooses the lesser of the two evils.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : This is first. And second, the word of truth, do not imagine that every Muslim will adopt it. If that were the case, this delay would not have existed... And glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise, I testify that there is no god but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.
Another session

Another questioner : What is obligatory for the people of Palestine to do in this time, and what is the ruling...

The Shaykh : What is obligatory for whom?

Another questioner : For the people of Palestine in this time, and what is the ruling of the land they are in?

The Shaykh : They are between two things. Whoever among them is able to migrate to an Islamic land and save his religion and his self, that is his obligation. As for the one who is not able, he must be patient, as the weak were patient in the early period of Islam in Makkah. This is the obligation of everyone who is there.

Another questioner : What is the ruling of the land they are in?

The Shaykh : What is the ruling?

Another questioner : What is the ruling regarding the land in which they are?

The Shaykh : It is a land ruled by disbelief. If there were Muslims there, they would have to fight them until the land returns to its Muslim inhabitants.

Another questioner : And if the lands surrounding them are also not ruled by what Allah has revealed, then their emigration would be from a land of disbelief to a land of disbelief; otherwise, it would be from a land of disbelief to a land of Islam.

The Shaykh : No, they are not the same. These are Islamic lands, and even if there is a ruling, as you all know, that contradicts Islam in many aspects, the ruling there is the ruling of a disbeliever. If we compared them, it would be a Jewish ruling. But here, the matter is not so. It is not permissible to compare these lands to those. This is as Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "If analogy were valid, then the very essence of falsehood would be valid." And to compare Islamic lands that are ruled by Islamic law, even if there are flaws in it, to the ruling that is applied by the Torah or the Gospel or by any law that contradicts all the heavenly laws is not right. And Glory be to You, O Allah, and with Your praise, I testify that there is no deity but You. I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.
Abu Layla : Please, our Shaykh.

The Shaykh : It does not mean that they should leave without emigrating, but rather that they should first emigrate, and second, not to settle permanently in the land, but to do their best, each one according to his ability and within his means, to return to their homeland as honored and victorious over the enemies. So I am not saying to leave so that we become an easy prey for the Jews. And what is your opinion now? Where is the Palestinian government? Is it in Palestine or outside Palestine?

Another questioner : Outside Palestine.

The Shaykh : Outside of Palestine, why don't you raise a commotion against those who established the government? Why don't they raise it in Palestine itself? Or perhaps they are unable to. Well, heThe Shaykh : knows that these oppressed Muslims are unable to resist, so he says, "Go out." Therefore, out of concern for the blood and honor of the Muslims, he commands the application of the verses and hadiths . The point is that you should note that when we speak of emigration, it does not mean that they should settle down in the land; rather, each one of them should think and do what he can to return to his country, whether from near or far. This is in the hands of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), the Exalted and Honored. So, if an opportunity arises, we will discuss this topic, if Allah wills.
Abu Layla : There is no emigration after the conquest.